Cresskill

Cresskill was incorporated as a Borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature in 1894 from portions of Palisades Township. The Borough, like many of other municipalities at the time, was formed during the “Boroughitis” era, when 26 boroughs were formed in the county during that year alone. A section of the eastern portion of the Borough was annexed to neighboring Alpine in 1904, Cresskill is named from the plant (Cress) that grew abundantly in the stream that runs north and south through the center of the town, and (Kill) Dutch for stream. Early history of Cresskill, like many of the surrounding communities was mostly inhabited by the Dutch and taken over by the English in the mid 1600's. Cresskill remained throughout most of its early history a quiet, sleepy farming community, and during the 1800's, developed into a residential suburb of New York City, inhabited mostly by New York City workers looking for a quiet suburban community with good school systems.

Railroads provided transportation to New York City from Cresskill in the early 1900's and as a result of the train access, Camp Merritt was formed. The Camp was the major debarkation point for over a million American troops being sent abroad to fight in World War 1. A large obelisk memorial (referred to by locals as "The Monument" was dedicated in 1924 at the center of where Camp Merritt stood at the intersection of Knickerbocker Road and Madison Avenue to commemorate the fact.